The Character and Diagnostic Criterion for Marginisation of the Arable Land

The concept and essence of marginalisation of arable land and marginal land were defined first, then the character of the marginalisation of arable land use was discussed, and finally, the diagnostic criterion was set up in this paper. The most commonly accepted definition of a marginal agricultural situation is one at the margin of economic viability. Agricultural marginalisation could be considered to be a process, driven by a combination of social, economic, political and environmental factors, by which certain areas of farmland cease to be viable under an existing land use and socio-economic structure. A process of agricultural marginalisation with areas of farmland which cease to be viable may produce a number of different responses from farmers. For example, some may attempt to improve viability and combat marginalisation, whereas others may run down or abandon agriculture altogether. These responses will result in some important changes of arable land use in terms of the degree of intensity, the planting area, the conversion of land use, the management system of arable land use and the abandonment of cultivated land. The marginal return, the degree of intensity and the area of planted crops are three main indexes to diagnose the marginalisation of arable land use. Generally speaking, if the marginal income is negative in the progress of arable land use with such characters as “decline in the degree of intensity and in the planted area, or even the abandonment of arable land”, we can judge that there are marginalisation phenomena in the progress in the land use. However, different kinds of marginalistion of arable land use have different diagnostic criteria.